Cupid's Melody
by kimkimmo
Summary: They've been the ultimate trio since the start: Uchiha Sasuke, Akaku-Naru Chinatsu, Nara Shikamaru. Best friends from the start, but to the end? What happens when it becomes a love triangle? Who wins?
1. Green

_**Cupid's Melody**_

_**Chapter 1: Green.**_

The girl lay on the green grass, debating on whether she should go back home or stop by to get some food. She sighed. It had been so long ever since she had been here. The trees surrounded her, their color reflecting everywhere. The flowers created a circle around her. The intoxicating scent of them sent her into a state of subconsciousness. Her body lay still, in perfect harmony with the nature around her. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she slipped into sleep.

Even though she was asleep, she could feel every movement around her. The butterflies landed on the flowers to pollinate them, the cherry blossoms swayed in the wind. She was oblivious to the hours passing.

She was startled when she felt her phone vibrate on her stomach. Her first reaction was a complaining moan. Why, oh why, had someone disturbed her peace? Sighing, once again, she answered the phone.

"Hmm?" she hummed, still half-asleep. The was noise on the other line.

"It's about time to come home, miss. You've kept me waiting for too long," her mother said gently.

"Mom. It's only-" Chinatsu checked her watch.

"Only seven o'clock?" her mother teased. Chinatsu chuckled lightly.

"I'm coming..." she sighed, getting up and dusting herself off.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" her mom asked.

"I don't know... Do you want to?" Chinatsu challenged. Her mom laughed.

"Okay. I'm coming for you. I'll pick you up at Sasuke's?"

"Yeah. Besides, I still have to stop by their house for those papers Dad wanted," Chinatsu said.

"'Kay. Love you."

"Love you too."

_*****First Person: Chinatsu*****_

I walked down the hill, avoiding several fallen branches. However, with my coordination, I couldn't get by without falling at least once. Once I was back on the sidewalk, I took off at full-speed. Knowing my mom, she'd be at Sasuke's in at least twenty minutes. And the Uchiha residence was thirty minutes away walking. Running, I'd be lucky to make it in half the time. My stomach growled every time I passed by a food place. I'd sigh, knowing I had no time to waste.

I rushed up their driveway and jumped the stairs. Before I could even touch the door knob with my knuckles, the door flew open.

"Chinatsu! It's been a long time ever since you've visited," Mrs. Uchiha greeted me with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh, I know! I just came-" I started. Mrs. Uchiha's eyes widened.

"No, no! Silly me! Please, come in!" She opened the door completely. I tried to refuse and explain why I had come but she made me come in.

"No, really! Mrs. Uchiha, I just came to pick some papers for my dad!" I explained. She smiled.

"Yes, of course! Now... Where did I put them..." She began to look for them but found them quickly. "Here you go, my dear!"

Before I could thank her, there was a knock at the door and I cringed. Mom came.

"Mikoto! It's been so long!" my mom exclaimed. Mikoto, Mrs. Uchiha, hugged my mom. "Is Chinatsu here?"

"Yes! She was about to leave, though," Mikoto said. There was the slightest hint to disapproving my actions in her tone.

"Really?" my mom asked suspiciously. She peeked inside and quickly found me.

"Please, come in, Ayame!" Mikoto suggested. My mom, forgetting me and her manners, took up upon the request. She walked in and looked around. That was something I was taught not to do! My mom and dad considered it rude. So why the hell did she do that? Ugh.

"Wow, Mikoto. This place has changed," my mom commented. Mikoto smiled, satisfied.

"Yes. I was getting tired of seeing the same everyday, so I had to changed a couple of things. You would not believe how crazy it's been here. 'Where's this? Where's that?'" Mikoto laughed. My mom joined in.

"It must be pretty hard, huh? Well, I just came to pick up Chinatsu-" My mom began.

"No, no! Please, would you like to stay for dinner?" Mikoto asked, her arms spread out suggestively. I shot my mom a pleading look. I hope she a good idea of how much homework I had...

"Sure, Mikoto. After all, I haven't seen those boys of yours. How are they?" My mom asked. I swear if I had no manners, I would've smacked my hand against my face. She really wants me to stay up late, huh?

"We're fine, thanks." Itachi replied, coming down the stairs. I smiled at him politely. He returned the favor. Sasuke came behind him, yawning softly. He rubbed his hand against his face.

"Well that's good, right?" my mom challenged. Itachi gave a soft laugh and nodded.

In minutes, we were all sitting around the dinner table. I fidgeted, intertwining my fingers between themselves, under the table. Mikoto kindly served us all, occasionally, laughing softly.

***First Person: Sasuke***

I sat there, half-asleep. Even though I had slept till three o'clock in the afternoon, I was still pretty tired and sleepy.

When I picked up my chopsticks, they slipped out of my hand, causing Itachi and Chinatsu to chuckle once. I sighed. Even my nerves weren't working correctly.

I finally managed to pick up some ramen and pop it into my mouth. My parents were engrossed in a conversation with Chinatsu's mom.

"So... I heard Sasuke made to the end, huh?" Ayame asked. The question was mostly directed toward me, but my mom answered.

"Yes, he did," Mikoto said with a smile, "When is Chinatsu taking the test?"

"In a couple of weeks... She missed the first one due to a horrible cold she got two weeks ago..." Ayame sighed.

"Was it that cold that's going around town?" Mikoto asked, a sympathetic tone to her voice.

"Yeah. I had a fever for half of the week. I was pretty much in bed all day," Chinatsu said, backing her mom up.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine," Mikoto said kindly. Her tone had a sympathetic tone to it. Chinatsu smiled.

Then the conversation became my parents, Ayame, and Itachi. Chinatsu finished her meal and excused herself from the table. I took my time, which was a while, and did the same. I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. I didn't bother turning on the TV. I just closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep. Naturally, there was no success.

"Hmm... What to read, what to read," Chinatsu said quietly. I opened my eyes to see her standing in front of the bookshelf. She was humming to herself and skimming the titles of all the book.

"Well... What haven't you read?" I asked her. She turned to face me and shrugged.

I stood up and walked so that I was next to her. I pulled out a heavy black book.

"Have you read this one?" I asked, handing her the book. She didn't answer and instead read the summary on the back. She smiled.

"I think not. Do you mind if I take it?" she asked. It was my turn to shrug.

"I already read it... Hey... Chinatsu?" I asked cautiously. She looked up at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"Yeah?" she asked. I hesitated.

"About the test... You're up against Kakashi..." I began. Her eyes showed nothing but pure dread and disappointment.

"You... Can't be serious..." she murmured. We both knew this was going to be hard for her. Kakashi was like her second dad. I nodded.

"He won't go easy on you, that's for sure. But... Hey, you okay?" I asked her. Her eyes were wide and staring straight at my face.

"I'm fine... Thanks for the heads up," she smiled. But even through that smile I could she wasn't okay. This wasn't going to be easy, for Kakashi or for her. Everyone knew that Kakashi was like a second dad to her. There was no possible way neither of them would feel pained because of this...

"I'll... See you around, then," I said. She nodded. Chinatsu and Ayame said their goodbyes and were on their way.


	2. Troublesome

So, before we begin, here are just a few things about Chinatsu:

- She looks like Sakura (kind of):

1. There's a link on my profile for the picture, under the heading "PicLinks".

2. She looks like Sakura, huh?

- She plays all the instruments, although some not so well, but her favorite are the piano, and the guitar (both electric and acoustic)

- Best friend(s): Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, Tenten, Temari, Hinata, Sai, Sasuke, and Gaara... I think that's it...

- Her mom's name is Ayame, yes, but she's not the girl from Ichiraku Ramen shop. That's a totally different Ayame!

- Her last name is Akaku-Naru, meaning Erubescent. Her first name is Chinatsu, duh, and that means 1000 summers. Chinatsu Akaku-Naru. Sometimes, she's called by her last name.

- No, she's not Shikamaru's girlfriend... They're just really close, right now...

- She doesn't like Sasuke... YET.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Cupid's Melody<strong>_

_**Chapter 2: Troublesome**_

Chinatsu ran through the doors of the cafeteria, anxious to find her friend that considered her as 'troublesome' everyday. She finally spotted him, and an evil grin danced on her lips. She smirked when he saw her running towards him; a deadly glare fixed tightly on his gaze.

"Good morning, Shikamaru!" she exclaimed giving him a hearty smile. He grumbled a harsh greeting. She ruffled his hair, giggling.

"Look, Chinatsu. I don't want to talk to you today," he said firmly. Normally, one would think that Chinatsu would be offended, but she wasn't at all. Not one bit. Instead of being insulted, she gave him a provocative smirk, poking his cheek.

"And why is that, Shika-kun?" she teased, laughing when he raised his eyebrows. He answered her question a with half-angry 'hmph'.

"And you still have to ask? You kept me up until three o'clock, _in the morning_. Do you have any idea of how sleepy am I?" he asked, still half-angry. His glare softened when she threw her arms around him, catching him completely off-guard.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she laughed, hugging him tightly. Slowly, she felt his arms wrap around her waist. "There, better?" she asked, pulling back to look at his face. He rolled his eyes and they both walked to meet up with everyone else.

"You are one troublesome woman, you know that?" he asked, leaning into her neck, whispering into her ear. She laughed and pushed his head away, making him smirk.

"Is it me, or does it look like they're together?" Tenten asked loudly, when Shikamaru and Chinatsu were arriving toward her. She gave us a sly smile when they both gave her a roll of their eyes. "Oh, c'mon! I was joking!"

"'Morning, Tenten," Chinatsu said, waving. Shikamaru removed his arms from Chinatsu's waist, and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Hey, Akaku-Naru," Neji called. Chinatsu turned and caught the textbook he threw at her, "You left your homework in my car yesterday."

"I take it that you did it for me," Chinatsu assumed, raising her eyebrows. Neji sighed and nodded.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, walking toward everyone. Along with him were Sasuke, the Sand Siblings, Choji, Shino, Kiba, and Sai.

"Made it just in time, huh?" Tenten asked, smirking. Everyone laughed.

*****Chinatsu's POV*****

"It's my turn to drive you home, huh?" Shikamaru asked, not looking at me. I sighed.

"Yup. How was your sleep, Shika?" I asked, looking up at him. He looked down at me, through the corner of his eyes. His tongue lashed out to moisten his lips and he sighed.

"A troublesome drag, really. Having my phone vibrate every thirty seconds. Having to reply every thirty seconds. Having to wake up every thirty seconds. Ugh, I'm never doing that again, Chinatsu. Even if it's for you," he said, almost threatening me. I rolled my eyes as we stopped by my locker.

"Sure you won't. I'll see you around then, Shika," I said, quickly fetching my books. He nodded and left without a word.

It was true. It was pretty hard, going to sleep at three o'clock in the morning, and having to wake up at six o'clock. Maybe I would never do something like that, for anyone, really. Yawning, I walked into English.

Like normal, everyone was talking. Kakashi-sensei wasn't there, _again. _He hardly ever shows up and when he does he gives us a free period. That's why everyone is passing with a solid A. I took a seat next to Neji and sighed. He looked at me as I slammed my books down.

"G'morning, Neji," I said, with a sleepy tone.

"You went to sleep late too?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Hello!" Tenten smiled, turning around in her seat to face us.

"Hey Tenten," Neji and I greeted. She laughed.

"So... Both of you, night owls, huh?" she asked, teasing.

"Not really. I had to stay up to do _someone's _homework," Neji said, send me a glare.

"Hey! You didn't have to do my homework!" I said, in my defense, "And yes. I kept Shikamaru up very late. Past ten all we said was 'Goodnight'."

"That's a nice way to kill time," she laughed at me, "Hey, did you do your math homework?"

"Nope. Neji did that for me. If Iruka-sensei calls on me during class, I'll have no idea on how to explain it," I said. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Then why don't you take a look at it? Then you'll be able to explain it, much more understand it!" Neji snapped. Tenten and I were startled by his sudden reaction.

"Yeah... Umm... Neji, next time I leave my homework in your car, don't do it..." I said, kind of confused.

"Ugh. The only reason I did it is because she told me to!" Neji said, pointing at Tenten. She gave us a nervous smile.

"You shouldn't have done that, Neji. Besides, that piece of paper was a troublesome piece of homework," Shikamaru yawned, turning around. He had taken his seat next to Tenten.

"Is that your favorite word, Shikamaru? All you say is 'Blah blah... Troublesome...'" I teased. Tenten smirked and Neji chuckled.

"Ugh. You're such a troub- a hard piece of work, you know that? You're _really _hard to handle," he said. All of us laughed. Tenten raised her brows suspiciously.

"Oh please, Shika!" I teasingly replied.

"Hard to handle? So it's true!" Tenten squealed, covering her mouth afterward. We all raised at least one eyebrow.

"Eh?" We all questioned. Tenten was now having a hard time containing her giggles and was practically turning red. We looked at her until he cracked.

Smacking her hand onto the table, she said, "You don't get it? You revealed the secret, dummies!"

Me being slow, "What secret are you talking about?" As soon as I said that, Shikamaru's eyes grew wide with understanding.

Instead of letting me in on the stupidity that Tenten just said, Shikamaru smirked and leaned back on his chair saying, "Oh, no. Nowhere _near _that, Tenten. _Nowhere near_."

That's when I finally understood Tenten's and Shikamaru's words. I felt my face flush in embarrassment and I quickly objected.

"Tenten! What the hell? I'm not Shika's girl!" I said, completely ticked off.

"Sure you're not!" Tenten teased, poking me. That set me off.

"Tenten!" I growled, making a reach toward her. Shikamaru placed his hand on my head while Neji got a firm grip on my waist. With both of them restraining me, I wouldn't get anywhere. Sighing in frustration, I sat back down, half-unwillingly.

"Hmph. Troublesome," I murmured. We laughed again.


End file.
